Spice Market Shark Hexagon Cardigan Free Crochet Pattern

Spice Market Shark Hexagon Cardigan Free Crochet Pattern

Introduction

This little cardigan is made for the newest baby in your life — sized for 0–6 months, with a roomy 18-inch chest that fits comfortably over a onesie. What makes it special is that it's built from just two identical hexagon motifs: fold each one in half into an L-shape and the magic happens, with one side becoming the body and the other becoming a sleeve. The stripes of saffron, paprika and deep teal give it a warm, spice-market glow, and a tiny teal shark-fin appliqué on the back adds a playful surprise. It's soft, light and easy to pop over a baby's head, with no buttons or closures to fuss with.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (category 4) cotton, approximately 200 yards total: 80 yards saffron (A), 70 yards paprika (B), 50 yards deep teal (C).
• Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook.
• Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch markers, scissors.
• Finished size: Chest circumference 18 inches (46 cm); length 9 inches (23 cm); sleeve length 6 inches (15 cm). Fits 0–6 months (chest 16–18 inches).

Abbreviations

• ch — chain: make a loop of yarn and pull it through the loop on your hook.
• sl st — slip stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull through everything on the hook.
• sc — single crochet: insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
• dc — double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through the last two loops.
• sc2tog — single crochet two together: insert hook in next stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook in following stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all three loops (one stitch decreased).
• sp — space: the gap between stitches, usually under a chain.
• rep — repeat.

Gauge

14 dc x 8 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in double crochet. Work a small swatch in dc and measure it flat; if you have more stitches than 14 in 4 inches, go up a hook size, and if you have fewer, go down.

Tips Before You Start

• Make both hexagons before you begin joining, and check that they match in size — the cardigan only works if the two L-shapes are identical.
• Each round begins with a ch-3 that counts as the first dc; join each round to the top of that ch-3, not to the next stitch.
• Keep your turning chain and corner chains relaxed so the hexagons lie flat — tight corners will make the cardigan pull at the shoulders.
• Use a stitch marker in each ch-2 corner space as you work, so you never lose track of where the next corner increase goes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Hexagon Motif (make 2)

With A, ch 4, join with sl st to form ring.

R1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in ring, [ch 2, 3 dc in ring] 5 times, ch 2, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (6 groups of 3 dc, 6 ch-2 sps)

R2: Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *[2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in next ch-2 sp, dc in next 3 dc; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (6 groups of 7 dc, 6 ch-2 sps)

Change to B.

R3: Ch 3, dc in next 6 dc, *[2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in next ch-2 sp, dc in next 7 dc; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (6 groups of 11 dc, 6 ch-2 sps)

Change to C.

R4: Ch 3, dc in next 10 dc, *[2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in next ch-2 sp, dc in next 11 dc; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (6 groups of 15 dc, 6 ch-2 sps)

Change to A.

R5: Ch 3, dc in next 14 dc, *[2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in next ch-2 sp, dc in next 15 dc; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (6 groups of 19 dc, 6 ch-2 sps)

Change to B.

R6: Ch 3, dc in next 18 dc, *[2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in next ch-2 sp, dc in next 19 dc; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (6 groups of 23 dc, 6 ch-2 sps)

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Assembly

Fold each hexagon in half to form an L-shape: one side becomes the body, the other the sleeve. Place the two hexagons side by side with right sides facing, aligning the body edges. Join with C using sc through both layers along the center back seam (from neck to hem) and along the underarm seams (from sleeve edge to body edge). Leave the front opening and sleeve cuffs open.

Edging

With C, join yarn at the bottom right front corner. Work sc evenly up the right front edge, around the neck, and down the left front edge, then sc around the bottom hem. Fasten off. Work sc around each sleeve cuff. Fasten off.

Shark Fin Appliqué

With C, ch 7.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across (6 sc). Turn.

Row 2: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog (4 sc). Turn.

Row 3: Ch 1, sc2tog twice (2 sc). Turn.

Row 4: Ch 1, sc2tog (1 sc). Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Sew the fin to the center back of the cardigan, about 1 inch below the neckline, using C.

Assembly and Finishing

Weave in all remaining ends on the wrong side of the work, taking care not to pull the fabric tight. Block lightly to the finished measurements — mist with water, pat into shape on a towel, and let dry flat. Do not press with a hot iron; a gentle steam over the surface is enough if the cotton needs smoothing.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Swap the stripe order for a different look — try teal as the outer round for a bolder edge, or work the whole cardigan in one color for a quick, classic version.
• Add a second shark fin on one sleeve cuff, or work the fin in paprika instead of teal for a contrasting pop.
• For a slightly larger fit, add one more hexagon round in A before assembling; this adds roughly an inch to the body and sleeve.